MUSIC: Grandaddy Release First New Music In A Decade

Grandaddy reformed in 2012, but they haven't released any new music since 2006 (not including a Christmas song with Band of Horses). This silence has ended today with the release of two new fantastic songs, "Way We Won't" and "Clear Your History". Listen to both of the classic-sounding tracks below.

NEWS/MUSIC: American Football Are Actually, No Joke, Releasing A Second Album

Legendary emo band, American Football, have announced a second album, 17 years after their first and only album. The album will once again be self-titled and be released October 21 on Polyvinyl. The first single, "I’ve Been So Lost For So Long", is linked up above. It's different than their previous material, but after a couple of listens, I'm loving the hell out of it.

Tracklist:

1. Where Are We Now?
2. My Instincts Are the Enemy
3. Home Is Where the Haunt Is
4. Born to Lose
5. I’ve Been So Lost for So Long
6. Give Me the Gun
7. I Need a Drink (or Two or Three)
8. Desire Gets in the Way
9. Everyone Is Dressed Up

REVIEW: Trans Day Of Revenge by G.L.O.S.S

In a time where governments are passing laws that prevent people from using the bathroom of their gender identity and gunmen are shooting up LBGT+ spaces, G.L.O.S.S.'s music is essential. Their music attacks the hatred that trans people face every day with anger and brutality. With their latest EP, the band continues and improves their assault against the powers that try to hold them down and shows the world why they might be the most important band around today.

For the whole of this five minute EP, the band is on the attack and never lets up. The production on this record is much cleaner than on their 2015 demo, but none of the rawness felt on their debut is lost on this new project. This record doesn't attempt to change the sound of hardcore punk, rather, they manage to be fresh and lively using a sound that so many bands have beaten into the ground. It is no small task to sound as interesting as G.L.O.S.S. do after more than thirty years of hardcore music.

This would be a great album if the lyrics were mediocre, but Sadie Switchblade is a trenchant and robust vocalist. Not content to just talk about trans issues, which they do superbly well, the band embraces intersectionality and talk about race. Some of the most powerful lyrics on the release are about the struggles people of color have to face, sometimes on top of being trans. The lyrics and vocals carry gravitas like few other bands out there.

Whirr's transphobic tweets, as awful as they were, did the great thing of bringing G.L.O.S.S.'s powerful sound onto the masses. G.L.O.S.S.'s music is essential listening for anyone, whether they're an ally like me or someone who feels disenfranchised because of a system that has failed them. I've chosen to not give this EP a numerical score because it is barely music, it is a force of nature that demands your full attention without any remorse.

NEWS: Glenn Danzig Finally Reunites With The Misfits

In the category of "news that I never thought I would write", Danzig is playing with the Misfits at both Riot Fest dates (September 2-4 in Denver and September 16-18 in Chicago). Danzig hasn't played with the band in over thirty years and the split was less than amicable, so this is pretty crazy. Danzig will be joined by Jerry Only and Doyle Wolfgang von Frankenstein at what will sure to be two very interesting shows.

MUSIC/VIDEO: Radiohead Finally Release New Single!

After months of teasing and hype, Radiohead have finally released their newest song, titled "Burn The Witch", after erasing their social media presence yesterday. The amazing string-heavy song is backed by an eerie stop-motion video. Check it out above and I will update you when Radiohead makes an album announcement.

REVIEW: Eraser Stargazer by Guerilla Toss

What if David Byrne had been obsessively listening to The Contortions while writing Remain in Light? On Eraser Stargazer, Guerilla Toss try to answer that question. To some, no-wave and dance-punk might not seem like things that should be mixed, but their tendencies towards irregular time signatures and grooves make them an interesting match. Guerilla Toss definitely succeed in combining the styles, but the question is that combination any good? For the most part, that answer is yes, but sometimes there are moments of identity crisis where the band can't decide between the two genres and the result is unfocused and muddy.

The album is precariously balanced between grating and groovy and it’s honestly sometimes hard to tell which is being achieved at any given moment. “Multibeast TV” avoids this dichotomy by sounding like a Death Grips track through a booming and slick bass, but they quickly abandon this sound for the rest of the album. The next track “Diamond Girls” was chosen as the single and for good reason; it is one of the most accessible songs on the album with a fantastic groove. “Grass Shack” shows off some of the less likeable aspects of this album with a bizarre synth that sounds like it’s from a forgotten Gamecube game. This track is also just too long for it’s own good, clocking in at almost seven minutes. Luckily, all of the other tracks are two minutes shorter than “Grass Shack” and they’re better for it. All of the tracks after the somewhat repetitive and underwhelming “Color Picture” are a return to form for the band. The intro to the song “Perfume” is much more restrained than the rest of the album and it makes  it much easier to appreciate the crazy parts more. The spoken word vocals on “Doll Face On The Calico Highway” don’t really work, but they are quickly forgotten under the beautiful barrage of other sounds.

Eraser Stargazer’s album cover is very emblematic of the sound; it is colorful, weird, twisted, funny in an odd sort of way, and kind of gross. The band has some very good ideas up it’s sleeve, but they sometimes get lost in just how much is going on during each song. If Guerilla Toss were to consolidate and focus their sound just a bit more, they could explore these chaotic soundscapes with much more grace and ease, but in the meantime, they’re a hell of a lot of fun to listen to.

★★★★★★★☆☆☆

NEWS/MUSIC: John Congleton Announces Solo Record, Releases Single

John Congleton, the producer of many, many great albums and also the frontman of the great Paper Chase, has announced a solo album as John Congleton and the Nighty Nite. The album will called Until The Horror Goes and is being released March 4th on Fat Possum. Check out the electric new single below, called "Until It Goes".

NEWS: David Bowie Has Died

One of the great musicians and singer-songwriters of all time passed away today. He had been battling cancer for eighteen months. His fantastic new album, Blackstar, was released on his 69th birthday Friday. David Bowie is one of my personal favorite musicians, so this news is especially hard to hear. I kind of expected David Bowie to live forever, but that was not mean to happen. I have very strong and emotional connection to him as a fan, so I can only imagine what it must be like right now for the people who knew him. Condolences to his friends and family and may he rest in peace.

NEWS/MUSIC: The Thermals Announce New Album

The fantastic, self-proclaimed post-pop-punk band, The Thermals, have announced a new album. The record is called We Disappear and is being released on Saddle Creek March 25th. The great new single, "Hey You", is available to listen above. You can also check out my pretty bad interview with Hutch here.

MUSIC: New Radiohead & LCD Soundsystem

Merry Christmas everyone! My gift to you is two long-awaited returns from some of indie's best bands, LCD Soundsystem and Radiohead. LCD Soundsystem released a depressing Christmas song entitled "Christmas Will Break Your Heart" and Radiohead dropped their rejected theme for the new James Bond movie, called "Spectre" like the movie. Both are fantastic and embedded below.

OPINION: Best Albums of 2015

We've reached that time of the year again, year-end list season is upon us. Here are my top ten albums of 2015!

1.   Kendrick Lamar - To Pimp A Butterfly

 Kendrick Lamar has released a perfect masterpiece that has changed the face of rap forever with To Pimp A Butterfly. The lyrical and instrumental depth of the album is astounding, putting even the best hip-hop of recent years to shame. To Pimp A Butterfly is an incredibly personal albums that gives the listener a ticket on the emotion roller-coaster that Kendrick has experienced over a lifetime. It is impossible to fully understand To Pimp A Butterfly, but you have to admire it and respect it for everything it manages to do.

2.   Speedy Ortiz - Foil Deer

Speedy Ortiz's debut was a fantastic album that showed a lot of promise and this album fulfills that promise. Everything that was great about Major Arcana is still present on this sophomore album, yet done better and with more variety. The funk of  "Puffer", the insanity of "Homonovus", and the pop-punk of "Swell Content" proves that Speedy Ortiz isn't just a nineties sound-a-like band like many claimed them to be. Foil Deer is a powerful statement of a record that won't be soon forgotten. 

3.   The World Is A Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid To Die - Harmlessness

 The World Is A Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid To Die is the best band of this so-called "emo revival" and this is because they are barely emo. On this new record, TWIABP&IANLATD show that they are just a fantastic band, not a fantastic emo band. Everything that was great about their debut album is still here, just in a more cohesive format. "January 10th, 2014" might be the best song the band has put out and sets a new standard for all the copycat emo bands out there.

4.   Mike Krol - Turkey

In eighteen minutes, Mike Krol proves to be one of the best garage rockers around, if not the best. Mike's "I Hate Jazz" and "Trust Fund" EPs proved what he was capable of and his debut album for Merge shows that he is ready to be the next big thing. Mike's unique vocals that carry relatable lyrics mixed with the fantastic guitar fuzz works so well. Mike isn't doing anything that new, but he's doing it as good, if not better, as anyone else playing right now.

5.   Courtney Barnett - Sometimes I Sit And Think And Sometimes I Just Sit 

On her newest album, Courtney Barnett became a rocker. "Pedestrian at Best" features one of the year's best guitar riffs and  "Aqua Profonda!" packs so much into it's two minutes, it's incredible. She doesn't leave fans of "The Double EP: A Sea Of Split Peas" hanging either, this new albums features some great slower songs such as "Depreston" and "Kim's Caravan". Barnett is one of the most versatile singer-songwriters around and this albums proves that.   

6.   Colleen Green - I Want To Grow Up

Colleen Green realizes that music doesn't have to be complex to be great. Her newest album features some of the most blunt, therefore some of the most relatable, lyrics in recent memory. The crunchy guitars sound incredibly satisfying and the occasional synth-pop tunes works way better than they should on a rock album.

7.   Sleater-Kinney - No Cities To Love

Sleater-Kinney were smart enough to realize that they shouldn't change anything major for their comeback album, they had already perfected their sound by the time they broke up for the first time. No Cities To Love is another great album in an amazingly consistent discography. The vocals still pack as much of a punch as they always have and the instrumental work is as good and knotty as always. 

8.   Chelsea Wolfe - Abyss 

Abyss feels like the album Chelsea Wolfe has been trying to make since she has been releasing music. Her previous albums have been very good, but in working with producer John Congleton, she seems to have found the perfect sound for trying to express the darkness she feels. Abyss blends electronics, folk, and stoner rock like no other album I've ever heard and it works fantastically.

9.   Protomartyr - The Agent Intellect 

Protomartyr are not the most innovative band, but they are really good at what they do, which is making post-punk. Their sophmore album, Under Color Of Official Right, was my eighth favorite album of 2014 and this album continues their trend of very solid, if not incredible, music. After three very good albums under their belt, I wouldn't be surprised if Protomartyr release something truly amazing in the near future.  

10.  Titus Andronicus - The Most Lamentable Tragedy 

If nothing else, Titus Andronicus released one of the most ambitious rock albums of 2015. It's hard to not at least respect the album for trying to keep a captive audience through an hour and a half, and it actually succeeds for the most part. TMLT won't be remembered as Titus's best album, but it will be remembered for how close it got.

NEWS: David Bowie To Release New Album

Everybody's favorite musical chameleon, David Bowie, is supposedly releasing a new album on January 8th. The album is called Blackstar and only has seven songs that will last 45 minutes. It was recorded at New York's Magic shop with local jazz musicians. I really enjoyed Bowie' last album, but I'm hoping that the interesting song structure and inclusion of jazz musicians might lead to a new and different style that we've never heard from the ever-changing musician.

NEWS/MUSIC: Download Meow The Jewels Right Now

This is not a drill, I repeat, this is not a drill. Run The Jewels have performed a surprise release of the highly anticipated cat version of their beloved 2014 album, RTJ2. RTJ2 was my favorite album of last year, so I'm incredibly excited for this meow-ified version of the album. Treat yourself and download it here.

NEWS/MUSIC: Alex G Announces New Album, Releases Single

One of the finest bedroom pop artists around, Alex G, has announced a new album. The album is called Beach Music and will be release on Domino October 9th. The first single, "Bug", is fantastic and available to play above!

REVIEW: The Most Lamentable Tragedy by Titus Andronicus

   

    When Titus Andronicus announced The Most Lamentable Tragedy, the question wasn't whether it would be good, it was how good. The band has proved itself to be incredibly consistent over the past three albums, minus some minor ups and downs. The Airing of Grievances was great, The Monitor was incredible, and Local Business was good. TMLT features some of the band's best and most interesting material, but its spread so thin. The album is fantastic at points but tiresome at others, which makes for an inconsistent, but great listen.

    The first thing that makes itself apparent about the album is its length. TMLT is 93 minutes, compared to The Monitor's 65 minutes. To give an idea of how long this is compared to other rock operas, the Who's Quadrophenia and Pink Floyd's The Wall are both 81 minutes. TMLT is 12 minutes longer than these already long albums. To pay attention to an album for 93 minutes is an incredible feat, even if the music is fantastic. While most of the material on this album is fantastic and keeps the listener's attention, not all of it does. The experimental drone tracks are interesting, but don't work too well in the album. The tracks "Sun Salutation" and "Auld Lang Syne" are interesting in theory, but break up the flow of the album. The silent "Intermission" track works better than expected, even if it's unbelievably pretentious. 

     Besides these weak tracks that are mentioned above, almost every song is fantastic. "No Future Part IV: No Future Triumphant" features incredibly knotty instrumental break-downs that are relatively new sounding for the band. The Eastern-influenced "More Perfect Union" is an epic exploration of family. "(S)HE SAID/(S)HE SAID" is one of the best songs on the album, even if it's four minutes too long. "I'm Going Insane" is one of Titus's best songs, despite its repetitive lyrics. "Into The Void (Filler)" is anything but filler and it features some of the best guitar and bass riff's in the band's discography. 

    Titus Andronicus seems to be trying a lot of different things of this album, some which succeeds and some of it fails. The idea of doing a very personal rock opera was an interesting one, but between bad mixing and growled vocals, it's hard to keep up with the story. It's possible to grasp moments of the story after repeated listens, but repeated listens are hard when the album is this long. Some of the tracks on the album don't work, but for the most part the band has created some incredible tracks that sound like classic Titus songs, but still fresh and new. This album comes close to the masterpiece it might have been, but its flaws are just too glaring to ignore. I'm going to give this album 8/10 stars for being mostly fantastic, but seriously flawed at other points.

BEST TRACKS: "No Future Part IV: No Future Triumphant", "I'm Going Insane", "Into The Void (Filler)"

★★★★★★★★☆☆

MUSIC: Eagles Of Death Metal Release New Single

The Eagles of Death Metal have release their first new song since 2008, entitled "Complexity". The single will appear on the band's upcoming album, Zipper Down. The single is a fun, catchy number that the band does so well. Listen to it here!

NEWS: RATATAT Announce New Album

RATATAT have announced a new album, entitled Magnifique, It will come out July 17th on XL as their first album in five years. The fantastic "Cream On Chrome" will be on the album, along with the "Intro" track the band shared about a week ago. Check out "Cream On Chrome" and the tracklisting below!

1. Intro
2. Cream on Chrome
3. Magnifique
4. Abrasive
5. Countach
6. Drift
7. Pricks of Brightness
8. Nightclub Amnesia
9. Cold Fingers
10. Supreme
11. Rome
12. Primetime
13. I Will Return
14. Outro

NEWS/MUSIC: Titus Andronicus Announce New Album, Release New Single

Titus Andronicus have announced a new album, called The Most Lamentable Tragedy, due out July 28th on Merge. The band also released a single called "Dimed Out" (embedded below), which is another great punk anthem that the band does so well. The album is going to be a 29-track rock opera about a "transformative odyssey", which makes me incredibly excited for this album.

REVIEW: Foil Deer by Speedy Ortiz

    Speedy Ortiz's music is as sharp as a blade. Tangled and distorted guitars intertwine with Sadie Dupuis's trenchant lyrics. It makes sense then that a central theme of their sophomore album is blades. In the first track, "Good Neck", Sadie sings, "Watch your back, because baby's good with a blade". On "Dot X" Sadie warns, "Don’t ever touch my blade, you fool, you’ll be cursed for a lifetime". Major Arcana was a mostly live record about breaking up, but this time around, the band is on the attack. Everything that was was fantastic about their first record returns on this incredible follow-up, yet they manage to bring some new sounds to the table which work well for the most part. Through lyrical and musical progression, the band is able to set themselves apart from the 90's bands they were continuously compared to after their debut and create an incredible piece of art.

    Foil Deer was recorded after Sadie received a MFA in poetry UMass Amherst and with a better recording atmosphere than Major Arcana. These two factors give the album a much bigger feeling. The album changes moods and style often, while Major Arcana largely stayed in the same territory. The best example of this musical agility is the track "Homonovus". At the beginning of the track, the  guitar is quietly knotting around Sadie's vocals, but as the track goes on, the guitar gets louder and louder, until it reaches an incredibly discordant climax. The opener of the album also achieves this build-up, but it's less sudden and extreme than on "Homonovus". 

   Even though Speedy Ortiz does discordant and noisy extremely well, the band also shines on their slower moments. "Zig" starts out with just Sadie and acoustic guitar. This intimate moment is reminiscent of when Speedy Ortiz was a solo project on "The Death of Speedy Ortiz", but the track then builds into a great rock track. The track "My Dead Girl" also shows the softer side of the band through dense and mysterious lyrics delivered in a haunting manor. Closing track, "Dvrk Wvrld", one of the best tracks on the album, features Sadie's most personal vocal delivery ever. When she says "I think I take too many, this one’s the last for a while", it's impossible to not feel sympathy for her, despite not knowing what she's talking about.

   Despite all of the albums strong suits, there are some minor things that make this record just miss perfection. The three track progression of "Homonovus", "Puffer", and "Swell Content", while all fantastic on their own, lack consistency. "Homonovus" is nosier than anything the band has every done, "Puffer" is a funky R&B track, and then "Swell Content" is almost pop-punk. At moments in Major Arcana, it can be hard to tell when one track ends and another begins, so the band has shown how cohesive they can be. Because of the risks and experiments this album takes, it lacks the incredible cohesion of their previous record. I'm going to give this record 9/10 stars for surpassing their previous full length in every way except cohesion. 

BEST TRACKS: "The Graduates", "Dot X", "Homonovus". "Zig", "Ginger", "Dvrk Wvrld"

★★★★★★★★★☆ 

MUSIC: Crystal Castles Return With New Single

When Alice Glass announced she was leaving the band last year, many assumed that Crystal Castles were done. The single above seems to indicate that the band is definitely not broken up. It's a great song to return on I'm excited to hear more from the band.